Month: August 2007

Is Life CreatedThere are obvious similarities between humans and most other creatures. Those similarities cannot be explained just by natural selection or design alone.

For example, if we see two religions, Christianity and Islam, we see some common thread. For example, they both argue that we will go to heaven or hell based on what we believe.

They both claim that the greatest sin is believing in a different doctrine than the official fate.

For example, in ancient time, the Catholic and the Arian duke it out to each other over whether Jesus is similar (Homoi Ousion) with God or the same (Homo Ousion).

The doctrines only differ in one letter. In Islam, those who will never get out of hell are those who believe that God has someone “equal” to him.

This similarity can be easily explained by natural selection. Whatever sells in Europe sells in Arab too.

However, living creatures have many equivalent ways to create amino acids. Also DNA between genes does not affect natural selection in anyway. It doesn’t even affect the phenotype.

Any similarities between the humans and chimpanzees on those areas can then only be explained by common ancestors. Humans’ genes must have been somehow, “copy” of the genes of the Chimpanzes ancestors.

This is simply a stronger argument for vestigial organs. Years ago, proponent of evolution theory points out that vestigial organs show that species are not created independently.

Religious opponents then argue that every vestigial organ have uses. They argue, for example, that humans’ tail bone is very useful.

Many people have had their tail bones amputated without serious problem. Still proponent of evolution theory has a much better weapon now. It’s not vestigial organ. It’s vestigial DNA. DNA that do not affect phenotype in anyway and hence cannot possibly be useful. Any similarities on those DNAs are almost proof that we are not independently created.

Reliance on faith and extreme punishment for believing in a different doctrine is a mark of many best selling religions all over the world.

However, it doesn’t explain other similarities between Christianity and Islam. There are similarities that do not affect natural selection. For example, the usage of Abraham as a prophet in those 2 religions. We can then guess that Christianity and Islam must have some form of common ancestors. We do. Namely, Judaism.

Now, back to the unexplained similarities. We are not independently created. Are we created at all?

Well, I didn’t know. I saw strong evidences that we’re not. At least, until I saw the square watermelon in Japan. That’s the product of genetic engineering.

Yap. Some lives are indeed created by intelligent design. Those genetic engineers are pretty intelligent to me.

So perhaps, we have a creator. Perhaps the creator allows creatures to evolve naturally most of the time. Once in a while, he created a jump. What ever have happened, we’ll know much more about it soon I guess.

The heritability of homosexuality is “only” 20%. That is, the probability that an identical twin raised independently will be homosexual if the other one is will be 20%.

First of all, that is much higher than the “normal” probability of 2-3%.

Hence, while homosexuality is obviously inheritable, it is not hardwired.

That raises a lot of question.

Let’s back to our first question. How can there still be gay people in the world.

It turns out that being homosexual does not decrease your gene pool survival rate as seriously as people have thought. What kicks you out of the gene pool is lack of success in mating with the opposite sex, not strong desire for to mate with the same sex.

In other word, impotence will kick you out of the gene pool way faster than bisexuality.

However, for most males, homosexuality is either a yes or no. While many women are bisexual, men are either homosexual or heterosexual with few between. At least according to Kinsey’s in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinsey_Reports.

Still according to Francis statement, heritability of homosexuality is only 20%. So whatever genes that “cause” homosexuality will only kick you out of the gene pool 20% of the time, at most. That gene may come in package with other edge, like better male bonding skills, or better artistic skills, etc.

All in all, we have impotence, suicidal, and poor males. It’s not strange to see gay people as a normal variation. In fact, homosexuality won’t hurt your gene pool survival much more than say, monogamy. The former will simply reduce the number of your potential mate from 1 to 0, rather than the normal number of 1000.

What truly surprises me is why so many religious bigots oppose homosexuality so much?

I’ve never heard religions condemn impotence, or lack of money making skills, or lack of promiscuity.